The Port of Açu will be featured in the first virtual edition of the China-Brazil International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS China-Brazil), sponsored by the Consulate General of China. The event will be streamed digitally and held between September 3 and 11 in Beijing.
For Açu, taking part in the fair reinforces its ties and broad relationship with the Asian country. “The Port of Açu has a realm of opportunities for Chinese companies and we want to show this during CIFTIS. China is already Açu’s main trading partner, both in imports and exports, accounting for 60% of the cargo handled. We also have success stories in terms of industrial investments and service providers, and we believe in the potential for expanding this portfolio of partnerships in the near future,” says Tessa Major, Director of International Business at the Port of Açu.
China is the main destination for crude oil and ore shipped from Açu. Bauxite, pet coke, general cargo, pig iron and coal are also handled at the port for the Chinese. In 2019, the Port of Açu signed a cooperation agreement with the Port of Guangzhou, fostering experience and knowledge exchange between the two countries. In August 2020, China also became a partner in the thermal power projects developed at the port.Recently, China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) acquired 33% of the GNA I and GNA II projects and signed an agreement to participate in future expansion projects GNA III and GNA IV. All four plants will use LNG and domestic gas extracted from the vast Brazilian pre-salt reserves. These projects will be part of the largest thermal power complex in Latin America, which is already under construction in Açu.
Açu booth is fully adapted to the digital environment
Açu’s sustainable, industrial and energy hub will be presented in a way that is fully adapted to the digital environment. At https://3d.ciftis.org/index.html?flag=PortodoAcuOperacoes, the audience will be able to visit the Port of Açu’s virtual booth and check out a gallery of the enterprise’s photos. Any questions can be answered by e-mail and business meetings can also be scheduled virtually.
The booth’s biggest attraction will be the “Açu Experience”, a virtual guided tour of the 130 km²-port located in São João da Barra, in northern Rio de Janeiro state. Images were captured by drones and 360º cameras, offering users the unique experience of touring Açu by land, sky, and sea. Over seven minutes, port terminals, the environmental reserve and companies already installed in the enterprise are displayed, including scenes of areas that are rarely open to visitors, such as internal courtyards.
Açu’s main operations and opportunities are reported in English voiceover. Graphics provide dimension and relevant figures of this young port with a vision of the future.
The technology was initially designed to shorten distances and simulate the experience of visiting Brazil’s most modern port industry complex. However, the tool became fully adapted to pandemic requirements, as face-to-face visits to the port will only resume when the situation is normalized. A virtual overview of the port and companies already installed there is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ugEhVgXjbk.
